Which Islands for a first time visitor?

We will be travelling to Hawaii for the first time next May for 14 nights. We are planning to visit 2 of the islands, and are having difficulty in deciding which ones. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We love to explore new surroundings, relax on the beach maybe a little shopping. Not really into nightlife.

Which Islands for a first time visitor?

Each Iland is unique in it%26#39;s own way.

A really breig thumbnail of each:

Oahu - Most crowded but still has wonderful scenery, Waikiki Beach (And a bunch of other good beaches) most shopping and nightlife.

Maui - Next most crowded. Pretty good shopping. Lots to see and do. Great beaches.

Kauai - The canyon. Fair shopping. Good beaches. Best hiking.

Hawaii (Big Island) - active volcano, good beaches, some shopping. Largest of all the islands.

Molokai - wonderful beaches, virtually no tourist activities, shopping almost non exitant, not crowded, goregous scenery.

Lanai - 2 resorts, 1 hotel. Least populated. Best 4X4 exploring. Some shoping in the town (as in THE town).

Which Islands for a first time visitor?

We went for 15 nights in August for the first time. We split out time equally between 3 islands, the Big Island, Maui and Oahu. We were quite happy about the split and glad we got to experience 3 islands. We were able to do a lot and also relax at the pools on all the islands too.

For a first time visit to Hawaii, I say the Island of Oahu. That island has it all, Waikiki, Honolulu and quiet areas on the other sides of the island and in between. I%26#39;m sure all the islands are fun, but I only ever have a desire to visit Oahu. Aloha, Banana Joe

We just returned from our first visit to Hawaii, spending two weeks travelling around . We visited 3 islands by taking the cruise from Oahu and visited the large island of Hawaii (Hilo on the east coast and Kona on the west coast); Maui and Kuai. We stayed five days on Oahu and toured that island from Honolulu. I would highly recommend the cruise if it%26#39;s your first time. You can get a taste of all of the islands. I personally like Kona on the western coast of Hawaii and also Kuai. Maui was too crowded for me, however, I have been told that if we had rented a car and driven northwest we would have come to some beautiful deserted beaches. The nice beaches are on the western part of the island. Whichever island you pick, you cannot lose, since they are all beautiful and each one has something different to offer. Enjoy!!! I can%26#39;t wait to go back...there is still more snorkeling and more places we didn%26#39;t get to!!

Thanks to all for your comments and advice. We shall take them on board when making our decision. Is it possible to travel between the islands by boat/launch or is air the only way?

You must fly between the major islands. The only interisland ferries currently running are the ones between Lahaina, Maui and Molokai and Lanai.

And weighing in with my opinion, I usually recommend Maui as the best island to visit for first-time visitors to Hawaii. For second place it%26#39;s a three way tie, depending on your interests!

My vote is Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island. Oahu, you probably land there anyway, don%26#39;t miss the Arizona, the Polonesian Cultural Center and Waikiki. Kauai is a slower pace, and has the Napali Cliffs, Waimea Canyon and the gorgeous north shore--a lot packed into a little space (my favorite). The Big Island has beautiful beaches and Volcano National Park (My husband%26#39;s favorite). Good luck choosing. We went for 12 days last year and didn%26#39;t feel rushed with three islands.

In mid-July we also did 3 islands over 15 days: Oahu, Big Island and Maui. Wherever you go be sure to pick the island that you think you will enjoy the most as LAST. Why?? Because those memories will be freshest and you want to leave Hawaii with the best of the trip in your mind. We had to do Oahu because of all the touristy things, plus we had military friends who we visited with. Waikiki was a one shot deal for us. Too crowded and way too hot. But it depends on what you%26#39;re looking for. If you%26#39;re in your twenties with no kids, Waikiki is probably a great thing for you. However, we enjoyed the North Shore tremendously and everything outside of Waikiki. But again, you have to see it at least once. We did Oahu, then Big Island and finished w/ Maui. My husband said if we had finished w/ Waikiki it would not have been as pleasant for him.

Think of the 1st time to Hawaii as a scouting trip...you see the touristy stuff and find out what areas you really like and which islands you want to go back to, because obviously you won%26#39;t be able to get to it all.

For us, next time will be the rest of the Big Island (we only did the Volcano area for the national park), Maui and Kauai.

The truth is you r going to have fun whichever island u choose. We went to maui for 12 days and had a blast. WE feel we have almost %26#39;done%26#39; the island. We went to Big Island for 9 days and we could easily spend a week more in big island. The point being, the fewer the islands u choose more time u will actually have fun.

The first time we had planned to cover Maui and Big Island in 9 days and thanks to excellent advice from friends cancelled our plane and room bookings to just visit big island.

I would say in 14 days go to Big Island - spend maybe 5 days o nthe eastern side. Hike to the volcano cone, hike to see red hot lava ( 2 different day long hikes), use Snorkeling on the the Big Island book to snorkel at many places (snorkeling is best in Big Island), rent a 4 WD drive and go down waipio valley (1 day), hike down polulu valley ( could be made a short trip ro a day long trip), explore black sand, green sand, red sand beaches, soak in the hot pools in the easten part of the island, see a few waterfalls in the eastern part of the island, then of course try something new - maybe diving if u r not a diver, maybe flying, maybe four wheeling.

The truth is every time we go to Hawaii we come back enriched. We alway try something new. We discover new limits in hiking or other activities. So to truly explore an island as opposed to just getting a feel for it, I would recommend just 1 island.

I think it would be helpful to know age whether you are traveling with kids.

I love Oahu, have been several times (am in in my early 30%26#39;s). Remember that Honolulu is a HUGE metro area. But outside of Honolulu (like say the North Shore or East side), it is less populated and much slower paced.

However, my parents hate Oahu. They much prefer Kauai to all the islands. They feel that it is slower paced and more relaxing. Second runner up for them in Maui. When they go to Maui, they try to stay away from the Kannapali.

BB is right, each has a different flavor. If you do not like crowds, stay away from Waikiki. But don%26#39;t discount Oahu because of that. It is really a lovely, lush, beautiful place to explore.